Washing Machine smells very bad!?

The Sponge

I have cleaned the filter on our washing machine and I have used a load of paper towels to clean the scum out of the rubber lip that closes against the door.

I have then put on a wash without any clothing in it and it still smells. Can anyone suggest something that I can put into the machine to give it a good clean out.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

RubyGirl

It could be the waste pipe that smells, maybe go outside and get a garden hose and feed it in the drainage pipe and give the waste pipe a good wash.

Dizzyblonde

If you're using 'small and mighty' liquid detergent, that's the cause of it and once you go back to powder the smell will disappear.

pm.

get some bleach and put it into the detergent dispenser then run machine on a 90 wash. It will terminally disinfect the drum and when it dumps the water the bleach will kill all the germs in the pipes.

MapForJ

The Sponge wrote: »

I have cleaned the filter on our washing machine and I have used a load of paper towels to clean the scum out of the rubber lip that closes against the door.

I have then put on a wash without any clothing in it and it still smells. Can anyone suggest something that I can put into the machine to give it a good clean out.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

heard a guy on radio say it was from using too much powder. he said that a detergent tablet could be broken in 4. and he said to get rid of smell put some savlon in and do a very high temp empty wash . maybe a half bottle savlon first time then less when doing it each month

lorebringer

+1 for cleaning out the washing machine - vinegar is really good for this. I use a whole bottle (the cheapy white vinegar you get in the supermarket) in the drum and another bit into the dispenser (take out the dispenser and give it a really good clean first - an old toothbrush come in very handy for this!), then run the washing machine on the longest, hottest wash possible (empty). There won't be a vinegar smell afterwards and it make a big difference.

Alternatively, you could use a disinfectant - bleach, Milton, Dettol, Savlon etc. work well too and kill off any nastys lurking around the pipes.

Fabric softener can leave a residue in your machine so this could be causing the smell. I don't use softener too often but I find when I do, the dispenser drawer gets really scummy and sometimes the clothes come out smelling of damp as opposed to smelling like washing detergent.

DoneDL

Hot wash with soda crystals helps to clean the excess detergent lodged in the machine. We had the same problem as we were used to being in a hard water area and when we started using less detergent the smell from the clothes went.

kwalshe

it might be something trapped inside the innards, ie a sock etc. Caught in the pump or somewhere like that

The Sponge

Thanks all for tips,

I was told put about 3 litres of boiling water and 3 cap fulls of bleach on the longest hottest wash, stop the wash after the first 10 min for half an hour and continue for another 10 then stop and leave over night and then continue the following day.

This worked an absolute treat! If it happens again I've give the vinegar a go.
Thanks again!;)